Aurora Hastil, Information anyone?

[Aislingean]

I tried to sell one of mine last month but no one was interested!

Perhaps this month will be better .......

I need to pay for the repairs on my Jeep!

 

Cheers

Dave

 

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g297/Aislingean/DSCF0854.jpg

[halfhyde]

QUOTE (zabo @ May 26 2009, 09:32 PM) We forgot to add to all this infos about the Hastil rotating nib feature...

Beware, this is myth!

I do not want to spread false information: I got the info from this topic (>link<) but I was yesterday at Vecchietti's store and they told me if it rotates there is a plastic part broken inside the section and it should be changed, otherwise it could leak!

 

 

I just won an Aurora Hastil at a local auction and have some questions after reading about it here. When I unscrewed the nib holder from ther barrel, I noticed that the nib does, indeed, rotate in the holder. I just inked it last night and have used it a bit then and today. I did not notice any leaking last night. Today when I opened it up there was a very tiny amount of ink on the shiny portion of the nib. I wiped it off and wrote with it awhile. I have seen to further ink on the top of the nib. I am also thinking that it might need a slight nib adjustment.

I read here that there were numbers written on the nib holder. I do not see any. However, there are numbers qritten on the Aurora sticker inside the metal cylinder . it looks like 7B 937 but the 7 before the B could be someone's idea of a fancy Y. These numbers are written in there by hand. There is also a KORET NEW YORK logo sticker in the metal cylinder.

 

 

I talked to KENRO Industries who is an Aurora repair center and they told me that if I went to their website and the service tab, I would find instructions there for sending them the pen to send off to Aurora in Italy for repairs. It would cost $35 and take 6-8 weeks.

 

 

I am unsure if I need to send the pen in. Does the "rotating nib" mean leakage for sure, if not now, then soon?

 

Thanks,

 

 

 

Michael Little

 

Phoenix, AZ

[zanio]

Hi Michael,

to find a Hastil with a "rotating" nib is not unusual...in my experience.

However, I am not a Hastil user; recently, I kept one inked for few days...no leaking, perfect writer. It had a rotating nib.

[isildur]

I realize that this is an old thread, however I recently got interested in the Hastil and this seemed like a nice place to ask my question rather than starting a new thread.

 

It appears to me that the price range on Aurora Hastil (in ebay) varies from $120 - $500. This seemed little odd to me and I am wondering why is there so much difference in the price range.

 

Where can I buy this pen in US?

 

Thanks.

[Jerome Tarshis]

The price spread is easily explained. Nothing mysterious. The lower prices are for older pens, from the original release in 1970 and for some years after that.

 

The higher prices are for the newer release. In some recent year I don't remember, after some years of not manufacturing the Hastil, Aurora produced the pen once again. Its price was very much higher than the original price range in the 1970s. That isn't unusual; many things in our time cost much more than their equivalents in earlier decades. The current model of the Hastil isn't an object of ordinary use, as it would have been in 1973; it is something postmodern, something retro, a commemoration of the glorious days of Midcentury Modern, etc.

 

The same kind of thing happened with the pricing of the Aurora 88. Apart from the fact that the 1990s version of the 88 is totally different from the original, one might say the designs are diametrically opposed (in spite of which Aurora uses a phrase translated into English as "virtually identical," not only a lie but a stupid lie), the recent 88s occupy a different price level from the original. The current pens, although they are good pens (I own one and I like it), are priced as luxury objects in a way that the original 88 was not.

 

You can not only find Hastils on eBay at quite different price levels, the older pens at lower prices, you can also find Aurora 88s on eBay at two different price levels. However, I believe the current Hastil is substantially the same pen as the original; the current 88 is definitely not the same pen.

 

The selling point of the original was that it had a hooded nib, like the Parker 51, the most fashionable pen of its time, whereas the newer 88s have open nibs. For me a very important difference. Compare pictures of the two pens, or families of pens, and you will see that they are different.

 

BTW, the Hastil is not on permanent display at the Museum of Modern Art. So far as I am able to determine from visiting the museum, it is rarely if ever displayed. It is in the permanent collection, which means the museum owns one or more. Museums own many things they do not exhibit very often. I like my Hastil, though not because I'll see a Hastil when I visit the Museum of Modern Art.

[tryphon]

My old article (originally published in The Pennant) is now available online here:

 

http://www.newpentrace.com/articleGA01.html

 

Hope you enjoy reading it!

 

Giovanni

Edited August 7, 2014 by tryphon

[darazs]

My old article (originally published in The Pennant) is now available online here:

 

http://www.newpentrace.com/articleGA01.html

 

Hope you enjoy reading it!

 

Giovanni

Giovanni - nice article.

 

I take the opportunity to ask again if there is a resource on all the different variation of the Hastil. Or should i ask Aurora directly?

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

This is an Aurora Hastil Sterling Silver Fountain Pen c. 1980. Designed by Marco Zanuso in 1969, the original slender, cylindrical stainless steel Hastil with 14 karat white gold nib is in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The Hastil has a patented leak preventing capillary feed called Idrograph. The barrel end has pair of black "brakes" to hold the cap securely. The nib section is ribbed for secure grip and has a serial number stamping. The pen was successful and was eventually made in precious metal and laquer finishes. This 5 3/8 inch long sterling silver cartridge / converter model has deeply cut engraved lines in the cap and barrel, a chrome plated spring loaded clip, and a 14 karat white gold medium nib. The cap and barrel ends have black disc inserts and the cap top one has the Aurora name on it. The cap and barrel have sterling silver hallmarks near the end caps. The success of the Hastil inspired other slim cylindrical pens in the 1970s such as the Montblanc Noblesse and Slim Line models.

http://penhero.com/Temp/AuroraHastilSterlingSilver_1280_01.jpg

[rohit1974]

 

Hi, Folks!

This is an Aurora Hastil Sterling Silver Fountain Pen c. 1980. Designed by Marco Zanuso in 1969, the original slender, cylindrical stainless steel Hastil with 14 karat white gold nib is in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The Hastil has a patented leak preventing capillary feed called Idrograph. The barrel end has pair of black "brakes" to hold the cap securely. The nib section is ribbed for secure grip and has a serial number stamping. The pen was successful and was eventually made in precious metal and laquer finishes. This 5 3/8 inch long sterling silver cartridge / converter model has deeply cut engraved lines in the cap and barrel, a chrome plated spring loaded clip, and a 14 karat white gold medium nib. The cap and barrel ends have black disc inserts and the cap top one has the Aurora name on it. The cap and barrel have sterling silver hallmarks near the end caps. The success of the Hastil inspired other slim cylindrical pens in the 1970s such as the Montblanc Noblesse and Slim Line models.

http://penhero.com/Temp/AuroraHastilSterlingSilver_1280_01.jpg

 

 

Wow, Exquisite

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

 

Thought I would add another one - I'm starting to get addicted to these pens. I have a Montblanc Slim Line in matte black and they are amazingly similar.

This is an Aurora Hastil Matte Black Fountain Pen c. 1980. Designed by Marco Zanuso in 1969, the original slender, cylindrical stainless steel Hastil with 14 karat white gold nib is in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The Hastil has a patented leak preventing capillary feed called Idrograph. The barrel end has pair of black "brakes" to hold the cap securely. The nib section is ribbed for secure grip and has a serial number stamping. The pen was successful and was eventually made in precious metal and laquer finishes. This 5 3/8 inch long cartridge / converter model has a matte black coated cap and barrel, a gold plated spring loaded clip, and a 14 karat white gold broad nib. The normal nib is yellow gold. The cap and barrel ends have black disc inserts and the cap top one has the Aurora name on it. The success of the Hastil inspired other slim cylindrical pens in the 1970s such as the Montblanc Noblesse and Slim Line models.

http://penhero.com/Temp/AuroraHastilBlack_1280_01.jpg

Thanks!

[jar]

http://www.fototime.com/C24B5A6F4DDAF85/large.jpg

[PenHero]

 

http://www.fototime.com/C24B5A6F4DDAF85/large.jpg

 

 

Very nice!!

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

I don't usually photograph logo pens, but this Hastil is a special version made for Ferrari in the 1970s and has some unique features.

This is an Aurora Hastil fountain pen made for Ferrari c. 1970s. One might not immediately realize this is a Hastil as the cap and clip design are completely different. There are no Aurora markings. This version of the Hastil is longer at 5 1/2 inches than the standard model, primarily due to the angled cap top. The cap is matte black, and the barrel is gunmetal colored, both accented with gold and red stripe decorations. The gold plated clip has FERRARI molded into the face and the Ferrari prancing horse logo is found in gold on the cap top and stamped on the nib face. It uses the same nib section with a different grip pattern and the nib appears to be gold plated stainless steel as it lacks hallmarks. The barrel end has the pair of black "brakes" feature that holds the cap securely when posted and has a gold plated end cap. It's a cartridge / converter model.

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/AuroraHastilFerrari_1280_01.jpg

Thanks!

[chravagni]

 

Hi, Folks!

 

This is an Aurora Hastil fountain pen made for Ferrari c. 1970s. One might not immediately realize this is a Hastil as the cap and clip design are completely different. There are no Aurora markings. This version of the Hastil is longer at 5 1/2 inches than the standard model, primarily due to the angled cap top. The cap is matte black, and the barrel is gunmetal ...

Is it a Hastil?? I own this pen, got as a gift when I was still at school. I always thought it was kind of like an Aurora Marco Polo/Magellano, not a Hastil. The nib is quite different, it does not have the "wave" like the Hastil. And it got corroded like hell. But it does have the black pieces of plastic to hold the cap if capped.

 

If it really is a Hastil, it is good news,

because then I have one :-) .

 

Where on the box or in the papers is it written?

 

Thank you

Chiara

[europen]

Thank you, gicoteni, for providing just about all the information necessary to anyone curious about the Hastil, the Mona Lisa of pens.

 

Fascinating indeed.

 

I wonder, though: if one owns a Hastil, why the demand to be told by someone else what makes it unique? The pen speaks/writes for itself.

 

I know that every time I use mine, I can see from the pen in my hand why it is wonderful, without having to have blueprints -- although as I say it constantly amazes me to see how the pen was designed and made.

 

But only fascinating, not necessary. Using and viewing the pen are enough to tell me why it is in a museum. The original Hastil remains one of the great innovative designs in pen making. Its many clones prove its ubiquity. And one does not really need to be told why the Mona Lisa hypnotizes us.

 

As far as 300 e for a sterling silver Hastil, silver is silver, although one can find sterling Hastils more cheaply, I suppose.

[PenHero]

Is it a Hastil?? I own this pen, got as a gift when I was still at school. I always thought it was kind of like an Aurora Marco Polo/Magellano, not a Hastil. The nib is quite different, it does not have the "wave" like the Hastil. And it got corroded like hell. But it does have the black pieces of plastic to hold the cap if capped.

 

If it really is a Hastil, it is good news,

because then I have one :-) .

 

Where on the box or in the papers is it written?

 

Thank you

Chiara

 

It may be a mash up of the Hastil and Marco Polo. The nib is similar to the Marco Polo, the section is similar to the Hastil but has the decorative bands like many Marco Polo pens. The barrel, including the "brakes" looks identical to the Hastil. The cap is unique to this pen. The seller told me it was a Hastil, but there are no Hastil indications on the pen or packaging. Could be a one off for Ferrari from available parts.

[sztainbok]

Hello folks,

I have a set of Hastil fountain pen and ballpoint with the original brushed steel (ecosteel) finish. Does anybody know if a matching mechanical pencil was made?

Greetings, Victor.